BY DENISE DIDIO BUHER, PT
A surprising number of high school athletes are
injured each year. Football, soccer, volleyball and
cheerleading injuries for youth totaled more than
1.5 million in 2013 according to the Consumer
Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
One potential solution to high school sports
injuries is better partnerships between athletic
coaching staff, athletic trainers and physical
therapists. While coaches and athletic trainers
handle a student athlete’s immediate healthcare
needs on the sidelines, physical therapists can
provide one-on-one treatment and more hands-on
techniques for injury recovery.
According to the National Athletic Trainer’s
Association, only 42 percent of high schools have
access to athletic trainers. With more than half
the nation’s high school without an on-site trainer,
parents should advocate for increased partnerships
between their children’s athletic coaches
and their local physical therapists.
Parents of student athletes can rest a little
easier knowing that their child’s coach has a good
relationship with a local physical therapist who
can provide education, recommendations and
support for injury treatment and rehabilitation.
We aren’t just going to ice, heat or tape an injury
and send a kid back out onto the field.
Our knowledge and expertise, in partnership
with that of the athlete’s coach, means players stay
healthy. If an individual is injured, we can provide
coaches with game day advice on whether or not
that individual is starting roster-ready.
To prevent sporting injuries, parents and
coaches should follow these sports safety tips from
Safe Kids Worldwide:
• Rule out potential medical conditions prior
to sports participation with a complete physical
examination by a doctor and follow up with a
physical therapist to screen for any potential
musculoskeletal dysfunctions.
• Notify coaches and staff of any pre-existing
medical conditions before the first practice.
• Be sure to warm-up and cool-down before and
after each sporting session, respectively.
• Drink lots of fluids before and during heightened
levels of activity.
• Ensure your athlete has all the necessary safety
equipment and gear for practices and games.
• Watch for signs of injury or overuse, such as
headaches and muscle or joint stiffness, and don’t
allow athletes to “play through the pain.”
• Get adequate rest throughout the week.
Denise Didio Buher, PT, is owner of Orthopedic
& Spine Physical Therapy in the towns
of Queensbury and Moreau, and a member of
the Private Practice Section of the American
Physical Therapy Association.